The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) (1) A coordinated, timely, and trauma-informed system of care is essential to meet the needs of children and nonminor dependents in foster care who have experienced trauma. (2) The use of standardized, validated functional assessment tools reveal that some children and nonminor dependents have immediate needs that may become increasingly complex if intervention is delayed or if the need is left unattended. (3) Investing in the provision of services to children and nonminor dependents in foster care by identifying and addressing immediate needs ensures that even those children and nonminor dependents with the highest level of need can be supported in every setting and, whenever possible, in the home of a relative, nonrelative extended family member or, in the case of an Indian child, an extended family member, as described in Section 224.1. (4) Child development research establishes that a trauma-informed system of care prioritizes and supports the role of the childâs or nonminor dependentâs family and community of origin in meeting the needs of the child and nonminor dependent. Research also shows that children and nonminor dependents placed with relatives, or extended family members as defined in Section 224.1 in the case of an Indian child, experience better permanency outcomes, higher rates of reunification, lower rates of reentry into foster care, and greater stability while they are in care. (5) Immediate needs should be addressed in a way that is culturally responsive, family centered, and permanency focused, and, for an Indian child, supports engagement with the childâs tribe in ensuring the array of integrated services and supports are informed by the prevailing social and cultural conditions and way of life of the Indian childâs tribe. (6) Meeting the immediate needs of children and nonminor dependents in foster care using a coordinated, timely, and trauma-informed system of care requires partnerships between caregivers, community-based service providers, and county and tribal placing agencies responsible for providing care and supervision to children and nonminor dependents and supports and services to children, nonminor dependents, and their families. (7) It is therefore the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to identify and address the immediate needs of children and nonminor dependents in foster care, as identified through a standardized validated functional assessment tool informed by the child and family team. (b) The Immediate Needs Program is hereby established. Beginning on the date required by paragraph (9) of subdivision (h) of Section 11461, the Immediate Needs Program shall be available to every child and nonminor dependent in foster care who, upon completion of the IP-CANS, is determined to be in Tier 2, Tier 3, or Tier 3+ as part of the Tiered Rate Structure established in subdivision (h) of Section 11461. The Immediate Needs Program shall not apply to nonminor dependents placed in a setting described in subdivision (w) of Section 11400. (c) For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply: (1) âImmediate Needs Programâ means a program that provides an array of integrated services and supports, consistent with guidance established by the department, based on the immediate needs of eligible children who fall into Tier 2, Tier 3, or Tier 3+ of the Tiered Rate Structure established in subdivision (h) of Section 11461 as determined by the IP-CANS assessment tool. For an Indian child, the program shall support engagement with the childâs tribe by ensuring that the array of integrated services and supports provided shall be informed by prevailing social and cultural conditions and way of life of the Indian childâs tribe and shall be provided consistent with active efforts as described in subdivision (f) of Section 224.1. (2) âImmediate needsâ means the circumstances identified by the childâs or nonmi
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